Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Accidental falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injury among Americans of all ages according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). And among Americans age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries. Among older adults, traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes nearly 50 percent of fall-related fatalities. In children ages 4 and younger, TBI is the primary cause of fall-related death and severe injury. In 2008, nearly 8.6 million Americans suffered accidental falls according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics indicate that an estimated 1.5 million people are treated for head injuries and nearly 12,000 are treated for neck fractures every year at U.S. hospital emergency rooms.

"Many head injuries occur at one's residence - whether it is a home or a nursing facility - and involve falling and bumping one's head, resulting in mild concussions to severe and even fatal TBIs, said Gail L. Rosseau, MD, a Chicago neurosurgeon and an AANS spokesperson. According to the AANS, people ages 65 and older and babies/toddlers under the age of 4 are the most vulnerable.

Among people ages 55 and older, 129,015 were treated for head injuries related to flooring. And in that same age demographic, there were 22,347 head injuries attributed to wheelchairs and 16,075 attributed to canes, crutches, and walkers. Most of the head injuries related to these products occur as the result of falling and hitting one's head on the floor, while a lesser number involve trauma to the head when it strikes a piece of furniture or part of the home structure, such as a door or countertop.